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Luxe Holidays to Vietnam

Vietnam a land of many contrasts; with its sense of the exotic
from its staggering natural beauty; along with the amazing mix of cultures. A country which has overcome many difficulties
and has reinvented itself yet retained the original Vietnamese spirt & identity.

So take in the very many contrasts of this amazing country
staying in handpicked Smith Hotel enjoying foodie paradises, sun bleached
beaches and bustling streets.

Con Dao Islands

Secluded beaches, rare wildlife and untouched natural beauty
make this archipelago off the south
coast of Vietnam one of the country’s best
kept secrets.

Six Senses Con Dao hotel in Vietnam is the kind of hotel
that will have you tearing up your passport and nailing down your beach towel:
why would you ever want to leave your private villa with its own pool on one of
the world’s most beautiful beaches? Further draws to distract you from a life
back home are the two excellent restaurants, the award-winning, whisper-quiet
spa, and the tempting aquatic adventures.

Make the most of the menu of watersports on offer here: ask
staff to arrange diving trips and snorkelling sessions. You can take a boat
trip to the nearby islands, if you want to swap the hotel’s beach for an
undiscovered expanse of golden sand. Guests can also go on guided hikes and
treks, heritage excursions and learn the basics of Vietnamese cooking.

Da Nang

Vietnam’s third-largest city is an intoxicating mix of
non-stop city life and tranquil bleached-sand beaches.

A short stroll from Phạm Văn Đồng beach and but a few blocks
from Da Nang’s city-centre, Moclan Boutique Hotel is in a prime position for a
Vietnamese city break. However, step through the hotel’s glass doors and the
concrete jungle’s rumpus fades away, to be replaced by blooming potted plants
and vibrant-green, palm-patterned fabrics – the tropics for those with a taste
for city life. Select your suite to suit your travelling taste; urbanites will
no doubt enjoy the city views from the King Suite’s balcony, while slower-paced
city explorers will relish post-pagoda soaks in the Garden View Suites’
roll-top bath, which overlooks the hotel’s serene courtyard. But really, there
are no bad choices here.

Discover the ancient civilisations that founded Da Nang at
the Museum of Cham Sculpture, then get to grips with the contemporary city at
Con Market, which houses more than 2,000 stalls selling fruits and vegetables,
silks, and coffee beans; upstairs you’ll find tailors who will craft you a
personalised áo dài (traditional Vietnamese dress) in a matter of hours. For
first-class souvenir shopping head out to Non Nuoc Fine Arts Village on the Thọ
Quang peninsula; here you’ll find handmade jewellery and many marble momentoes
of smiling buddhas and fire-breathing dragons to take home. While out of the
city centre, the peak of Sơn Trà Mountain, popularly known as monkey mountain
for the resident macaques, offers breathtaking views over the city and bay.
Before hiking the 693-metre high mountain, warm up with a climb to the top of
the 17-storey Goddess of Mercy statue in the beautiful Linh Ung Pagoda; the
pristine, white sculpture is hailed as the tallest statue of the deity in
south-east Asia. Should you want a few easy days by the sea in between seeing
the city sights, the hotel is just a few blocks from Phạm Văn Đồng beach and
further down the coast are the white sandy shores of Non Nước beach.

Ho Chi Minh City

Known as Saigon to the locals, this Southern Vietnamese city
showcases a mix of vibrant Asian culture and colonial European elegance.
Sweeping, tree-lined boulevards of boutiques run in to the street-stall-lined
thoroughfares of a foodie’s paradise.

An Lam Retreats Saigon River hotel was once Mr Lam’s private
home: you’ll be wishing you lived here too, thanks to green, leafy gardens,
river-watching rooms and zingy Vietnamese food. This quiet Saigon sanctuary has
peaceful nooks with rattan chairs and bright cushions to relax in, and the
hotel’s speedboat will whoosh you to the city centre in just 15 minutes.

Ensure you’ll still be eating gỏi cuốn and pho when you’re
back home, by taking a cookery class with the friendly hotel chefs. Staff can
also arrange brilliant day trips by boat, exploring Saigon’s wonders: the Cu
Chi Tunnels and the lush rice paddies of the Mekong Delta, for example. If
you’re into golf, head to Twin Doves Golf Club: ask staff to arrange your
visit.

Hoi An

Hoi An will charm your pants off, but that’s fine – this is
the tailoring capital of Vietnam, so it’s easy to find another pair.

Indulgence levels are off the scale at beachfront boutique
hotel Fusion Maia Da Nang in Central Vietnam, where all-inclusive spa
treatments mean pampering is a must. Balance spa chilling with golf and
shopping sessions in nearby heritage town Hoi An, then slink back to your
stylish pool villa or live it up in the ocean-view lounge

It's hard to tear yourself away from the hotel's pampering
spa, given that all treatments are included in rates. Set in a lush tropical
garden with a soothing waterfall, it offers 22 treatment rooms, beauty salons,
steam rooms, saunas, private Jacuzzis and a serene reading room. Its 'Seven
Practices of Natural Living' programme incorporates spirit-boosting activities,
nourishing cuisine and practical wellbeing inspiration, from yoga, t'ai chi,
breathing basics and foot reflexology to eco walks, a lantern ceremony, spring
roll workshops and an orphanage visit.

Need a retail fix? Hoi An's Portuguese-influenced Old Town
is lined with shops selling everything from silk lanterns to carved wood
knicknacks, but most people flock to the cobbled alleyways for hand-made
clothing. Yaly (47 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street) has an extensive fabric selection,
and A Dong Silk (62 Tran Hung Dao Street) is known for its quality craftmanship
(Smith stocked up on suits and shift dresses last time we were in town). It
helps to know exactly what you want before you go – better yet, take your
favourite piece of clothing and have it copied.

Nha Trang

There’s more to Vietnam’s leading seaside resort than a
sweeping stretch of sand. Nha Trang, on the south-central coast, is a buzzing
town that offers a compact window on the country for those overwhelmed by the
scale of nearby Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi.

A serious contender for the best-located resort in Vietnam,
Evason Ana Mandara hotel delivers the perfect balance of seaside bliss and
local life. Set on a mountain-backed beachfront strip near the buzzy heart of
coastal town Nha Trang, stylish rooms come with their own Jacuzzi. Offering
seclusion by day and socialising by night, this retreat will please
privacy-seekers, family posses and party-people alike.

It's hard to tear yourself away from beach lounging, but
there's tennis, snorkelling, diving and buzzy watersports up for grabs, or head
to the Six Senses Spa for some serious pampering. Yoga and t'ai chi classes are
also a draw at the fitness centre, which offers the usual gym equipment,
including cardio, cycling and weights if you want to stay active.

For adventures further afield, sign up for a ‘Bay &
Island Discovery’ trip to see what all the fuss is about. There are dozens of
offshore islands near the coast of Nha Trang, many ringed by coral reefs and
teeming with sea life. Learn about local island life, come face to face with
some underwater critters with a slow snorkel and try your hand at piloting a
coracle, a boat that looks like an over-sized, upside down Ho Chi Minh hat. If
that all sounds too much like hard work, try a private sunset cruise on the
bay.

Ninh Thuan Province

Ninh Thuận Province in Vietnam is as-yet uncharted by
tourists; laze on the often-deserted beaches or explore the ancient ruins of
capital city Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm.

Nestled between a national park and a marine reserve, Amanoi
– on Vietnam’s south-east coast – has a spectacular setting and sleek,
shrine-like design. The luxury hotel's polished, slate pagodas peek out from a
lush green landscape; its infinity pool segues into the sea; and its spa rests
by a lotus-blossom-dotted lake. For groups and families, residences come with
their own pool and private chef. Sun-worshippers have plentiful places lay out
their a beach towels, but it's worth sacrificing an even tan to swim by
tropical fish weaving through rainbow coral forests; and while they're rare,
sun bears and graceful muntjac deer have been known to visit the sprawling
parkland.

The resort is on the edge of a Núi Chúa National Park, which
guests can explore on guided nature walks; off-road biking through the
neighbouring vineyards and villages can also be arranged. On Amanoi’s private
beach, watersports such as kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding, snorkelling and
sailing are on offer. For something a little more relaxing, try yoga, Pilates
or tai chi. Further afield, the Po Nagar Cham Towers temple complex is an
hour’s drive south, where four of the eight structures built between the
seventh and 12th centuries remain; one of the oldest pottery villages in
south-east Asia, Bau Truc, is a 90-minute drive away; and, a similar distance
from the resort, the village of My Nghiep offers an insight into the ancient
craft of brocade-weaving. Closer to home, explore the sleepy fishing village of
Vinh Hy, on the edge of the Núi Chúa park, five minutes away by car.

Phan Thiet

Untouched and authentic Phan Thiet sits at the gateway to
the stunning Mui Ne Cape, four hours from Ho Chi Minh City (and so worth the
journey).

Princess d’An Nam Resort & Spa in Ke Ga is hidden behind
dragon fruit orchards, set on a quiet white beach, with just a fishing village,
ancient salt lakes and a historic lighthouse nearby. When you're not stretched
out on your beach towel, frolic in the quartet of pools or hit the vast spa for
mango and guava-infused treatments. Top off days of sun-kissed langour with
delicate lobster (caught that day in Ke Ga Bay) and warming bowls of pho.

Borrow one of the hotel’s bicycles and wheel your way
through the dragon fruit orchards, rice paddy fields and ancient salt lakes.
Make the most of the beach setting with sand boarding in the dunes,
body-boarding, volleyball, Frisbee, badminton and kite flying. Ask to go on a
fishing trip in a traditional basket boat with a local fisherman; staff will arrange
it. There’s also a menu of paid-for experiences to choose from: visits to Phan
Thiet’s fish market, Fairy Springs or Ta Cu Mountain (home to Vietnam’s largest
reclining Buddha); kite- or windsurfing, wakeboarding, banana boating,
kayaking, catamaran rides, or motorbike rides to explore what’s around you. For
quieter moments, the hotel has a library, a pool table and a stash of board
games.